Hundreds of colourful superheroes are set to fight through foam and fly down 40ft slides to raise money for an Essex cancer charity.
The Tom Bowdidge Youth Cancer Foundation is bringing the Kapow! obstacle course to Colchester’s Castle Park on Sunday, September 2.
The event will see hundreds in fancy dress take on a 2.5km or 5km course - leaping over a host of inflatable obstacles on their way to the finishing line.
The cancer charity was set up in 2013 in memory of 19-year-old Tom Bowdidge, from Colchester, who was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer at the age of 18.
In April 2013 he began fundraising, collecting more than £170,000 to support teenage cancer patients.
He died six months later with the strict instructions that everyone should ‘crack on’ with the foundation.
His mother Nikki Bowdidge, CEO of the foundation, said; “Colchester has never seen anything like this and we are thrilled to be bringing such an exciting and new event to our home town.
“We are hoping to see hundreds of people dress up as their favourite superhero and put their powers to the ultimate test on the day.
“Colchester has some amazing events and we are proud to be part of them.”
The event will take place the day after the popular Invasion Colchester event - where crowds dressed as superheroes descend on the town centre to raise money for St Helena Hospice and Colchester Hospitals Charity.
Mrs Bowdidge said the new Sunday event would mean people could spend a whole weekend as their alter egos.
“Colchester is lucky enough to host one of the most amazing superhero days on the whole of the UK and we know people would love the chance to carry on in their alter egos for the whole weekend.
“We really hope this will be an event to bring people from across the east of England to our town to have fun and raise as much money for charity as possible.”
Mrs Bowdidge said she hoped the event would become a regular fixture in the town.
To sign up visit www.eventbrite.com and search for Kapow, email nikkibowdidge@tombowdidgefoundation.org or call 07771 646654.
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